UN study: Electrical waste up by third by 2017

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-Excite

BERLIN (AP) - The mountain of refrigerators, cellphones, TV sets and other electrical waste disposed of annually worldwide is forecast to grow by a third by 2017, according to a U.N. study released Sunday.

E-waste - defined as anything with a battery or a cord - can pose a big problem because it often contains substances that are harmful to humans and the environment if not properly treated. On the other hand, some of it can be profitably recycled.

A U.N. think tank dedicated to the issue estimates that the amount of e-waste will rise from almost 48.9 million metric tons (53.9 million tons) in 2012 to 65.4 million metric tons (72.09 million tons) in 2017. That's nearly 200 times the weight of the Empire State Building.

The U.S. dumped the most last year, generating 9.4 million metric tons of e-waste, followed by China with 7.3 million metric tons.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20131215/DAAMV35O1.html

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In this Feb. 4, 2013 file photo discarded television sets and computer monitors are piled in a consolidated container for electronic scrap at the Bahrenfeld recycling park in Hamburg, Germany. The mountain of refrigerators, cellphones, TV sets and other electrical waste disposed of annually worldwide is forecast to grow by a third in the next five years, according to a United Nations study released Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013. (AP Photo/dpa, Christian Charisius, File)

[arcane1]

1. But let's keep upgrading everything, every year!

I can't be seen using last year's phone, now can I?

[AtheistCrusader]

2. I get at least 2 years out of a smartphone.

But a lot of the upgrading I've done is efficiency related.

My new water heater is 40% more efficient than the old, and in the long run, that scrap metal can be recycled, so the upgrade was worth it.

Not all e-waste represents wasteful upgrades. At least some of it is a net efficiency upgrade.

[Berlin Expat]

3. Well, I sure

wish someone here where I live would be so kind as to dispose of an old, working fridge. Sucks having to keep things out on the balcony. That's fine for winter, but when spring and summer come, that's not gonna work.

I keep stuff in an old cooler I found in the trash. Cleaned it up, and it was OK. But I'm gonna have to find a fridge before next spring. I hope someone here will be throwing one away after Christmas.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. Keep checking Craigslist

These things show up from time to time.

Otherwise, the recyclers will be happy to mine an old refrigerator for the R12 refrigerant and the copper. Both are going up in value.

[AdHocSolver]

4. Corporations design electronics to become obsolete quickly and be unrepairable. nt